Ezekiel Elliott has been the definition of a workhorse running back for the Ohio State Buckeyes this season. However, the latest Ohio State football news is that Elliott won't have an increased workload in the Buckeyes' final few games of the regular season.
The Buckeyes are two wins away from a Big Ten title appearance and three from the College Football Playoff. But the Buckeyes won't lean on Elliott more than they already are.
"Not at all," head coach Urban Meyer said when asked about giving Elliott more work. "We’ve never even thought that way because we have to win each game we play and it hasn’t been easy ... We’ve rode Zeke pretty hard, 20 to 25 carries and I can’t imagine much more than that per game for a tailback."
Elliott is averaging 22 carries per game and he's done wonders with those touches. He's racked up 1,425 yards and 16 touchdowns while putting himself in the Heisman race.
Even with those numbers, the Buckeyes' coaching staff is concerned it might be too much for Elliott to handle.
"He's still probably playing a few more reps than I would like him to play," running backs coach Tony Alford. "And that's on me. That's strictly on me, not Coach Meyer or Ed or anybody else. It's hard to pull him out of a game, though."
It's been tough to pull Elliott because he's been one of the best running backs in college football. If the Buckeyes want to beat Michigan State and Michigan to end their regular season, they'll need Elliott to be his usual productive self.
Back to the Ohio State Buckeyes Newsfeed